Early Systemic Anti-neoplastic Treatment Post SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients with Breast Cancer

Overview

Journal Oncol Ther

Specialty Oncology

Date 2023 Oct 20

PMID 37864026

Authors

Naama Halpern

Ben Boursi

Einat Shacham-Shmueli

Einav Nili Gal-Yam

Ofer Margalit

Talia Golan

Tamar Beller

Gal Strauss

Dafna Yahav

Eyal Leshem

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: It is unclear how soon after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection it is safe to resume systemic anti-neoplastic treatment in patients with cancer. We assessed the risk of admissions or postponed treatment cycle in vaccinated patients with breast cancer receiving early systemic anti-neoplastic treatment following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study conducted during Omicron SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in Israel, January-July 2022. SARS-CoV-2 cohort included 30 vaccinated patients with breast cancer with SARS-CoV-2 infection 7-14 days prior to systemic treatment. All patients had resolved symptoms and a negative antigen detection test on the day of treatment. The pre-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic cohort consisted of 49 matched patients with breast cancer treated with systemic anti-neoplastic agents during 2019.

Results: In 30 vaccinated patients with breast cancer who received systemic anti-neoplastic treatment 7-14 days following SARS-CoV-2 infection, compared with 49 matched patients treated in 2019, the rates of emergency department (ED) visits (13% versus 6%, respectively), hospitalizations (3% versus 4%), next cycle of treatment given per protocol (90% versus 88%), and death (0% versus 0%) were similar.

Conclusion: In a cohort of vaccinated patients with breast cancer who received systemic anti-neoplastic treatment 7-14 days after SARS-CoV-2 infection, we did not observe substantially higher rates of ED visits, hospitalizations, or deaths compared with a similar cohort of pre-COVID-19 patients with breast cancer. Most patients received the next planned cycle on time. Early resumption of systemic anti-neoplastic treatment following SARS-CoV-2 infection in vaccinated patients with breast cancer with a negative antigen test at the day of treatment appeared to be safe. Additional data on larger cohorts and other malignancies are needed to support clinical guidelines.

Citing Articles

COVID-19-sensitive tumour response: 2-year assessment of the SARS-CoV-2 humoral response in cancer patients in oncology hospital in Poland.

Kosiorek P, Mikoluc B, Stroz S, Hryniewicz A, Kazberuk D, Milewski R Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2024; 74(1):27.

PMID: 39708120 PMC: 11663207. DOI: 10.1007/s00262-024-03895-z.

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